Lanterns are portable light sources able to stand on their own and illuminate a general area. Lanterns are very popular for outdoor activities such as camping when other light sources are impractical or not available, In addition, lanterns are often kept as a spare light source for use at home or other places during power outages or other situations where light is otherwise not available.
Lanterns can have differing power sources. For example, they can utilize mantles to burn fuel or have batteries that power electric lights. Electric lanterns are typically used by placing or hanging a lantern in a vicinity to be illuminated and flipping a switch to provide power to an electric light source. A lantern may be carried by a person from place to place so as to illuminate the general vicinity around the person as he or she moves.
While lanterns are suitable for this general purpose, it can be inconvenient to carry a lantern from place to place if light is needed in more than one area. For example, if two or more people are using a lantern at once, one person may need light in one area while another may need light in another area. Often it is desirable to illuminate several areas that are commonly used. It is often impractical and not cost effective to carry multiple lanterns for illuminating multiple areas, especially in situations, such as camping, where storage space is limited.